Lion's Roar
by ScarletEmpress2017
Summary: The Paladins each have their bonds, both with the Lions and each other. But facing those bonds isn't always easy.
1. 1: Black and Red

Keith was not fond of mysteries.

If he was being blunt in the extreme, he might go as far as to say that he hated them. Questions without answers irritated him. So when he woke up — unable to sleep — and went to Shiro's room he was upset when he found it empty. Actually… Upset wasn't quite the right word. The immediate response was panic. He quashed it down with the thought that the castle was currently safe, static on the surface of Olkarion. If anything happened, they would know and he'd be on Shiro like white on rice.

Question was… where was Shiro _now_?

He sighed and let the door shut behind him as he began his search. The first place he checked was the bridge, because Shiro would be downright _damned_ if he allowed himself more than a moment's rest. However, when he found it void of the Black Paladin, he was just a tad stumped. The next place he thought to check was Kuroi — _Black's_ hangar. He stood right outside the hangar door, willing himself to go in, but remained unable to move. He loved Black, really, he did; but he also wanted to be as far away from her as physically possible. He shouldn't have even known her name. That name…

It was an intimate thing, to give a Lion a name. Like he'd done for Jowaka. He couldn't bear to rename Black after Shiro disappeared. So Black had gave the name Shiro had given her. _Kuroi_. The very knowledge of that name felt like… Well, that's where it became hard to explain. The act of telepathic communication with giant magitech robot lions was sometimes jarring at best and momentary blackout inducing at the very worst. It was why learning to communicate and opening up their minds to their Lions had been so difficult in the beginning. The very relationship was delicate, but not precarious.

If he had to describe the feeling of taking Shiro's place as Black Paladin, he couldn't find singular human words. The best comparison he could come up with was a random fact he'd remembered from AP Human History: In some ancient culture, if a man died before he'd had children, his younger brother was to marry his widow and sire heirs in his stead.

 _That_ had been the closest human approximation Keith could think of to define it.

The idea when he had learned it — even when trying to keep in mind the age in which the practice took place — had seemed unnecessary. Even when marriages at the time were more for mutual benefit than for love. And the fact that he could equate that scenario with becoming the Black Paladin made his skin crawl. The only thing more grating had been the ensuing psionic chaos.

The Red Lion had not given him up without a fight. In the few seconds it had taken for Keith to connect with Black, she and Jowaka had an all-out empatho-psychic _war_. The argument from either side had been painful and draining. Even though his conscious mind couldn't understand, his subconscious had understood perfectly.

 _ **No**_ **, you cannot have him! He is** _ **my**_ **Paladin!**

 _The others need a leader._

 **Alfor's cub will more than suffice!**

 _She would be too weary of my past._

 _But she is capable!_

 **And he is his predecessor's chosen. This is not up for debate.**

 _I will_ not _have another Paladin taken from me!_

 **Duty takes priority.**

And with that the battle had been won. In the same moment Black severed his connection to the Red Lion and established one with him. Even as he lamented the outcome, he was powerless to stop it. The ever-present fire had ceased and was replaced with the odd sensation of what he could only describe as weightlessness. Then it was over he felt nothing. Only a psychic bond he never wanted and the distinct feeling of utter hopelessness. In his mind, he could hear Black's last statement that had fully silenced Jowaka.

 **Duty takes priority.**

Allura really had made the best decision when she had first assigned each of them to the Lions. Shiro was far better suited to lead them than he was. Shiro's belief in him was well-intended, but misplaced. He wasn't cut out for it. He truly couldn't understand why Shiro's intent alone had been enough to convince Kuroi — _Black_ , dammit — that he could. She had seen him trying to lead in the field. He failed epically. _Beyond_ epically. _Exponentially_ beyond epically.

And yet when Shiro returned she refused him.

He had hoped that she would be excited to find him. She seemed like she had been when they found him. Why hadn't she let him pilot her again? They had bonded on a deeper level than any of the others, it didn't make any sense. But he had gotten no answer when he questioned her. Even with the revelation that the very first Black Paladin had been Zarkon himself she gave nothing when asked. Eventually he had stopped asking.

The strangest part of all, was when she finally accepted Shiro as her pilot again, she didn't dissolve their bond, shaky as it was. He could feel it, like a murmur at the hindmost part of his mind. Withdrawn but ever present. Most days it was easy to ignore. Some days it was impossible to and it drove him to the verge of madness. As he faced the door he pondered the thought. If Black could sustain a connection to both Shiro and himself, then maybe; just maybe…

He reached out to Jowaka, he wasn't even sure if he could do it, much less if he was doing it right; but he would never forgive himself if he didn't try. He breathed deeply, and just when he thought he had reached her, he heard a vicious, outraged roar. It wasn't physical soundwave the hangar was utterly silent. But the sound rattled his body. The psionic energy behind it rattled his psyche. He screamed. He held his head as he wailed. All he could feel was _stopnononostoppainpainpain_.

"… Keith, _Keith_ , can you hear me?"

Keith blearily opened his eyes, mind reeling, feeling too much at once. When the overload finally subsided, he could feel Kuroi softly rumbling. Apologetic. He blinked a few more times before he registered who he was seeing. Shiro was looking down at him worriedly.

And something inside him _snapped_.

Keith broke into tears, clinging to Shiro for dear life and bawling. The elder was utterly astonished. He hadn't seen Keith cry in years. He pushed aside his shock and held him close. By now the younger was sobbing hysterically. He gently cradled him in in his arms, only to find themselves no longer alone.

"Shiro, what-?" Allura asked. "What happened?"


	2. 2: Red

Lance had been about to step into the game room when he heard the command. Red Lion was a lot more straightforward than Sapphira – _Blue_ had been. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to call her by _that_ name anymore. He had one for Red, but he wasn't sure if he could use it either. Nevertheless he heard the command in his subconscious and he stepped away from the door and found himself running. To where he wasn't entirely sure, but there was a level of desperation in Red's command. He had to move faster. With a new speed he hadn't been sure he possessed he found himself moving faster, speeding through the corridors of the Castle.

He ran until he wasn't sure where to go anymore. He was near the barracks. Now where? That's when he heard a noise. Screaming? No, crying! Who was crying? He moved toward the sound, feeling Red's distressed rumble in his hindbrain. Something was very, very wrong. He turned a few corners until he realized where he was going and sped up again. When he was a few corridors away, he found himself slowing down as the sounds grew softer, quieter. Then he heard another sound. Allura's voice. He continued on until he found Allura standing over two figures crouched on the floor, worry in her eyes. Shiro was kneeling on the floor and Keith… Keith was half on the floor, half in Shiro's arms, trembling.

For a small moment, Lance was stunned into complete stillness. Keith was _trembling_. Even after they'd been out in space for this long he had never, ever seen Keith vulnerable. Even when absolutely consumed with worry, he never portrayed it with any standard traits of vulnerability. Rage? Yes. Sarcasm? Yes. Screaming, sobbing, or trembling on the floor? Absolutely not. He very gently stepped into view and quietly walked over to Allura, eyes full of concern.

"Allura, what's going on?"

Allura snapped her head up in surprise at the sound of Lance's voice. But quickly recovered and drew her eyes back to Keith. She was sadder than he'd seen her since she first awakened from the healing pods.

"I'm not sure," Allura answered. "I had just been talking with Shiro a few doboshes ago. A few ticks ago I heard screaming so I came back. They were like this when I got here."

Lance wasn't sure what to make of it. The entire situation was unprecedented. There was no Garrison protocol to handle this, no Paladin training to fall back on; all he could really do was stand and watch. Even as he stared, he could hear Red's sympathetic rumbling in his head. He looked on as Keith's sobs quieted and his breathing slowly transitioned from struggling gasps to uneven in and exhales.

"Is – Is he asleep?" Lance asked softly.

"Yeah…" Shiro answered. "Yeah he is."

Shiro gathered up Keith in his arms and carried him away, heading towards the barracks. Lance followed, Red's rumbling egging him on. He honestly didn't blame her for being so upset. Despite their bond, Red was still very attached to Keith. He hadn't known what to make of it at first. When Red first called him, her roar was more like one of duty, not pride. He kept himself open towards her, but she had been very… unresponsive. It had felt like he was the only one trying. Even so he couldn't bring himself to be upset over her distance. They had both lost connections to parts of Voltron they'd been connected to.

After Coran had told them all the Legend of Voltron, about Zarkon and Alfor and Blaytz… He began to understand a bit more. Lance wasn't a fool; he could figure it out. Alfor was the one to stand against Zarkon after the Lions were hidden away. Red and Alfor were likely the only ones left. And when Alfor was defeated… Lance shuddered at the thought. He didn't want to know how it felt to have a psychic bond severed like that. There one second, gone the next. Red must have been in pain after that. She lost her Paladin in the worst way possible… And then to be taken away from Black Lion in the Castle…

Lance could feel a grateful purr shake him from his thoughts and he looked up at what was in front of him. He nearly slammed right into a wall. He let out a small chuff and silently thanked Red. He looked over to the door where Keith's room lay. He was tempted to go in, but thought better of it, knowing Keith's pride would resent him for it when he recovered. A reassuring rumble in his subconscious won him over and he opened the door. Shiro had just pulled the covers over the younger when he walked in.

"Is… Is he gonna be okay?" Lance asked tentatively.

"I don't know… He's not physically injured, but…" Shiro sighed. "I have no idea what's wrong."

Lance looked down at the older boy in silence. He wasn't sure what to do. Eliara was worriedly murmuring in his mind— Lance paused. That was the first time he let himself call her that. Red – _Eliara_ calmed down slightly at the sound. The rumbling became malcontented purring and he let a slip of a smile push through.

"Red's pretty worried about him," he told Shiro.

"…So am I."

Lance wasn't sure what to do now. Should he stay or…? His question was answered for him when he heard the Red Lion's purr calling him. He excused himself and followed the sound. When he found himself in front of the Red Lion. Lance felt the purring slow, and he was invited to the cockpit. He sat down and closed his eyes.

"What do you need?"

Almost instantly, his mind was bombarded with images – _memories_ of before. Bloody vestiges of Alfor's fall. The icy disconnect from Keith. All of it painful. Lance felt tears well up in his eyes. All these memories _hurt_. Twice she bore a Red Paladin, and twice they had each been taken from her. Lance began to understand a bit more. The Red Lion had mourned Alfor for ten thousand years in captivity. Now his successor had been ripped away from her too. It had dredged it all up, brought it to the surface. She couldn't protect her Paladin, she had been so... useless.

"Not useless," Lance muttered.

The flurry of memories slowed, then stopped, allowing Lance's conscious and subconscious to reconnect. He his words replayed in his mind. No, the Red Lion was not useless. _Eliara_ was not useless. She had rescued Keith, and inadvertently the rest of the team, on several occasions. She was a living embodiment of the Spirit of Fire. The warmth running through his veins was a constant reminder of that. And fire… Fire was not just warmth or destruction.

"Do you know what Eliara means?" Lance asked quietly.

There was a confused rumble, meaning, no.

"Eliara," he whispered secretively. "It's a name I made up. It's a mix of words from Earth."

Now the rumbling quieted, and Lance was rendered silent as well.

"It's intended to mean light."


	3. 3: Blue

Allura remained in the hallway long after the other three left. She was unsure what to do now that the three had gone. She was so used to the former Paladins all acting in unity, this generation was still… fractured? No that wasn't the right word for it. These Paladins cooperated very well for all their rushed-and-pushed-together-ness. The previous Paladins were so open and… well, she was biased either way. Eventually, she found the ability to move her feet and found herself on her way to the Blue Lion's hangar. She stood at the doorway, confused. And not for the first time. For perhaps the hundredth time she stood with her hand hovering over the access panel, remembering Blaytz.

She grew up around Blaytz. He had been flirtatious, outgoing, and sincere in his affection. He saw the beauty in everyone. Even when faced with the most terrifying of foes, he would find some way to compliment them all while taking them down. This had honestly annoyed Zarkon and Trigel to no end, but Gryrgan, Alfor and herself had always found it amusing. She missed it. And when she awoke and found she had to scramble and assemble a new generation of paladins, she was astounded at the parallels between the first Blue Paladin and the Second. Lance similar, yet different. It was… amusing. To know that two people who were of completely different species could be so similar that it was almost scary. And both of them Blue Paladins.

And now there she stood, the third Blue Paladin within the second era. The heritor of both title and Lion. She had no idea what she was doing as the Blue Paladin. They had made it look so easy… A soft purring entered her mind and she found her thoughts subdued. With little effort, she opened the hangar. She moved slowly, as if she was hypnotized, towards the Blue Lion. Before anything else had registered, she was in the cockpit, arms wrapped around herself piteously.

"What is it?" She asked, voice pained but curious.

Silence.

"Well, you've already brought me here, so you must have a reason!"

No answer yet again. Allura groaned and hung her head. Lance had been able to decipher the Blue Lion with such ease. How would she ever-

A growl cut her thoughts short.

Slowly, she let her mind reach out for Blue, and almost instantly, her senses filled with memories. Blaytz leading his people through a storm. Lance running through drills. Blaytz humming an old song to himself. Lance quietly naming family members to himself. Blaytz struggling to decipher an olde tome. Lance learning new words from a liberated planet. Herself.

Allura drilling the paladins. Allura reorganizing the archives. Allura learning to pilot Blue.

"What are you trying to show me?"

Blaytz. Lance. Allura. Blaytz. Lance. Allura. Blaytz Lance. Allura.

"You're not making any sense!"

Quiet.

Purring again. The memories stemmed. Then a different set of thoughts. An ocean teeming with life. A sea with treacherous waves. A placid, turquoise lagoon. A wide, boiling fumarole. A snow covered, icy tundra.

"I- I'm still confused. What are you trying to tell me.?"

More purring, and then the thoughts came in sequence. Blaytz. A lagoon. Lance. A fumarole. Allura. Falling snow. Blaytz. Lagoon. Lance. Fumarole. Allura. Snow. Blaytz. Lagoon. Lance. Fumarole. Allura. Snow. Blaytz. Lagoon. Lance. Fumarole. Allura. Snow.

"Blaytz is like a lagoon?"

A pleased chirrup.

"Lance is like a boiling lake?"

Another one.

"And I am… I am like snow?"

A prideful growl.

"But what is that supposed to mean?"

Another sequence: Blaytz. Blaytz. Lance. Lance. Allura. Allura. Blaytz. Blaytz. Lance. Lance. Allura. Allura.

"Blaytz is Blaytz, Lance is Lance, and Allura is Allura?"

A satisfied purr and the thoughts were cut short. Allura was again alone in her own mind to ruminate.

"Blaytz is Blaytz… Lance is Lance… Allura is Allura…" She said quietly. "Allura is Allura…"

The realization dawned on her like a sunrise over the horizon. Slowly, but every bit as powerful as the light it brought with it.

"Allura is Allura. I am me… Thank you."

There was another purr, and another image. The Blue Lion. The image felt like a question.

"Blue Lion… Blue Lion is _Kymakobu_."

 _Kymakobu._

The name was like a balm, soothing Allura's rattled mind, and bringing a few moment's peace to the two. And for that long, it was more than enough.


	4. 4: Yellow

Hunk had been on the bridge, explaining macaroni to Coran when he felt it. It wasn't like a blaring alarm, more like a soft mewling. But that was more than enough. Something was very, very wrong. He had always had this odd… Sensitivity to things, even before becoming a Paladin. In fact, it had been heightened since connecting with the Yellow Lion. His nerves were now firing, sending anxiety coursing through him. He politely excused himself and left. He paused outside the doors trying to figure out what was wrong. If he could place it or quantify it, that would help settle him a bit, and he could focus on solving the issue, but for all his attempts at clearing his head, the quiet mewling persisted.

 _Meteor_. That was the first thing that came to mind when his nerves finally settled some. He started jogging to him. When he finally stumbled into his hangar he paused at the sight of the Yellow Lion, the majestic mechanical marvel was still a bit intimidating every now and again. When he regained his bearings, he realized that the mewling hadn't abated.

"What's wrong?"

The Yellow Lion very slowly lay down, allowing his paladin access. Hunk quietly went in, keeping his mind open, listening for the right sound.

"Easy boy, it's alright."

He sat down, attempting to interpret the uneasy feeling permeating his psyche. What could be setting Meteor off like this? He took a deep breath and tried to let his mind listen. Sorrow was bubbling, like magma beneath the surface. But why?

Hunk had first thought that it would be difficult for him to attempt to connect with the Yellow Lion psionically. But he was surprised how easily it had come to him. He would admit, the sensation of telepathic communication was definitely odd, even a little headache inducing. Nonetheless, it was mostly pleasing. Right now, however, it was troubling. Meteor was normally warm and grounding, comforting in this crazy space adventure that had become his life. But now? Meteor was… sad. Sadness, that's what this was. But, why?

Hunk did everything in his psionic capacity to understand the source of Meteor's sorrow. It took him less time than he anticipated. Disappointment.

Disappointment?

 _Black has hurt Paladin._

The sounds took time for his brain to process into words, but when Hunk finally understood, he was a bit confused. And more than a little startled How could Black have hurt her Paladin? Furthermore, which Paladin? Shiro or Keith? Before Hunk could spiral into a panic-riddled fit, he felt Meteor tug at him again.

 _Calm._

Now Hunk was confused. _Why_ should he be calm?

 _Calm. Panic helps no-one._

Hunk took a few deep breaths focusing on the almost silent hum of Meteor's systems running. The euphonic thrumming soothed him and little by little, he found himself eased out of his panic. As rational thinking took to the forefront of his mind, he agreed with Meteor. Panicking wouldn't really help anyone.

But what would?

 _Others must fix problems themselves._

So what am I supposed to do?

 _Be there._

Hunk had barely begun questioning this proposed role when Meteor brought him back to the moment Allura had chosen Shiro and the others to first pilot the Lions.

 _"As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up, and hold them together."_

Hunk paused as the words ran back through his mind again and again.

"Lift them up, huh? I guess I can do that… Thanks Meteor."

The Yellow Lion's purr of approval was the only sound that filled the comfortable silence.


End file.
